The Demon's Rise
by Scarlet Scribe
Summary: Bill Cipher has wanted revenge for a long time. And there's one person in particular who he wants it on. The weakest one, the Pine Tree. After a brutal run-in out in the woods one chilly summer night, a certain character has his downfall, and soon his uncle realizes he's the one who has to fix it, but things start to spiral out of control before even he can grasp it.
1. How It All Started

Hey guys! So this is my first fanfiction on here, and I'm really happy to see what your reactions will be. So you don't receive any nasty surprises, I am warning you there is some mild violence and blood in this story. I actually have 6 chapters of this done and up on another site, but I'm going to take this one chapter at a time here for a gradual build up of reviews, and so I'm not throwing a ton of stuff at you. Thanks.

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It was late; the middle of the night in Gravity Falls. The moon shone bright up in the sky and the woods were dark and eerily towering over all the land, creating a trapped effect for whoever happened to be caught outside. It was mainly quiet but tension was in the night air.

There was a scream, a shout, and then a shrill plea.

"Lay off him, Bill! He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Well in that case Stanford, _you _are wrong!"

Currently, two figures were running along the forest grounds. The first figure was a tall, gruff-looking older man in a suit and fez. The second figure looked like a small boy wearing a blue and white hat and vest. Small twigs and brambles sticking out in the middle of the path hit them every so often, but they paid barely any attention; they were only focused on running.

Behind them in the horizon, a large figure was approaching fast. As it came closer, a dark shadow shown on the dirt ground. It looked like it was in the shape of a large-looking triangle. Finally, the figure made it's appearance. Floating high in the air was a large triangle-shaped demon wearing a top hat and tie. It had a single eye that darted around furiously, looking for it's victims who had been running on the ground below.

It's name. Bill Cipher, dream demon.

"Don't you dare try to get away from me, Stanford Pines!" he shouted furiously in his high, yet booming voice. He was in his large, triangle state, his most powerful form. "Do you know how much _trouble_ Pine Tree has caused me? The little shrimp would be _dead _by now if you hadn't of shown up!"

Stan and Dipper stopped running to look back at the ferocious entity hovering before them. Stan pushed the boy back behind him so he could face Bill himself.

"And what exactly, Bill, has he done?" Stan shouted up at him. "He's a kid!" The triangle demon started chuckling maniacally before answering.

"I'm sorry, but that's classified information, Stan. But what he has done is not what you should be punished for," he continued as he hovered down lower to their height. "I don't mind punishing you as well...but I won't."

Stan looked behind him at Dipper. The boy just shrugged.

"This is between me and Pine Tree, Stan. There's nothing you could possibly do to sidetrack me that hasn't already been done," he said. "So you might as well surrender yourselves now before something **bad **happens." He said the last part with a fierceness in his voice. Dipper took a brave step forward.

"If you think we're going to surrender to you, Bill, than you're wrong," he spoke up. "You lost in _his _mind," he pointed at Stan, "but you aren't possibly going to win here either. You're going to lose again."

Bill chuckled and hovered in front of Dipper. "Oh wow, that's adorable Pine Tree. You actually think you're going to stand a _chance_? You aren't in the dreamscape anymore, kid. You don't have the power to do anything to me."

Stan's brow raised as he listened to all this. "What?"

"Well no matter!" Bill shouted all of a sudden. "You are powerless, Pine Tree. And the trouble you've caused me has been aggravating me to no end." He turned a dark red before turning back to his normal yellow, glowing state.

Dipper, although powerless to Bill, still stayed strong. "And what makes you so sure, Bill? That you're going to win against us?"

"Dipper..." Stan said with uncertainty. "You shouldn't try making him mad, you don't know what's going to happen..."

"You should listen to your uncle, kid," Bill said slyly. "You don't know what kind of power I'm capable of. And trust me, victory will be sweet for me when _I _win. You see this?" He stuck a black arm out and a deer all of a sudden looked up from the trees a few feet back. It's mouth opened and it was pulled forward, much like a magnet. All of it's teeth popped out of it's mouth one-by-one, collecting in Bill's outstretched hand, much like when he was first summoned by Lil' Gideon.

"Deer teeth. But force isn't all I can conjure..." the teeth flew back into the deer's mouth, all popping back into the right spaces, and it trotted off.

"I can do this..." he stuck his hands high above his head and a blue fiery glow emanated from them. He threw them down and the blue flames flew into a fallen-down tree, burning through the trunk and even singeing the grass on the ground. Dipper gulped and Stan was speechless.

"But by far one of my strongest abilities..." he chose to hover right in front of Dipper, to the point where he was up in his face. Dipper tried taking a step back, but something was preventing him from doing so. When Bill spoke, his voice was very deep.

"...is I can mess with the mind. I can traumatize people so bad that they'll be in therapy for months. I can screw their minds up so hard that they'll be nothing but spaghetti, and silly putty in my hands." A large grin appeared on his face, so large that it was creepy.

"Dipper, we need to get out of here," Stan said with seriousness and stress in his voice. Dipper tried turning around to run, but something still prevented him from do anything.

"I can't move!" he shrieked as he tried moving back and forth, but he still couldn't budge.

"Bill! Let go of the kid!" Stan shouted. His words were being blocked by Bill like a shield. Suddenly the woods became much darker than they were before, even though it was nighttime. Bill began to glow much brighter than he had before, a bluish glow so bright that it would burn your eyes just looking at it for a couple of seconds.

"Let me go!" Dipper shouted as he struggled in Bill's strong grip. The dream demon had the boy right where he wanted him. Ignoring his pleas, he continued on.

"You can't stop me, Pine Tree," he said as he glowed. He looked Dipper right in the eyes.

"You're weak. Just a weakling boy who doesn't get the difference between stepping in and staying out."

His eye sharpened. Dipper could only stare back up at him with his soft brown eyes, not being able to look away.

"A fool. You don't have the power to defeat anyone or anything. Not even a squirrel." Now was when things would come into effect. Bill used all of his forensic power and raised his arms. Dipper's eyes began to glow a bright blue color, and he was soon being lifted up off the ground, arms hung back behind him and head tilted up at Bill. There was a blank expression on his face and he was no longer struggling.

Stan knew exactly what was happening. It was the same thing that had happened to someone very close to him before, although he didn't want to say who it was.

"Bill, stop!" he shouted again. Bill didn't listen. His taunting continued on, only becoming harsher by the second. He rose Dipper up a little higher, to the point where he was around fifteen feet in the air. Everything was dark except for the glowing of the possession keeping things bright.

"Pine Tree, your power is but _nothing_. A small trickle compared to what mine is," Bill said slyly, deviously. "You're a fool to try and stop me." Dipper's face stayed blank and pale, but Bill's words were digging deep.

"Stop trying to be a hero kid, it'll get you nowhere. Stay back and let more experienced and sane people handle things."

"Do you think anyone really _cares _about you?" the demon said coldly. Stan's eyes widened. Dipper was now becoming visibly affected by Bill's words. They were like punches being thrown at his body, each time being hit wit such ferocity that he jerked and shook, although he was currently being taken over.

"Dipper! Don't listen!" Stan shouted once again from the side. But his words wouldn't reach.

"You're trapped now. You got yourself into this. Just by being your scrawny pesky little self, you got yourself into this," Bill said again. Blood began to stream down Dipper's nose and eyes. Things were going too far, he was weakening faster.

"You. are. _nothing._" Bill said. "Scum. Trash. A runt."

Stan wanted to run out and get Bill to stop, but he could only watch as everything happened. It appeared that time had become frozen and they were all caught in some kind of forcefield where they weren't affected.

"And you wouldn't be able to stop me in a heartbeat," Bill said so harshly that Stan felt himself cringe.

Then the triangle demon began to chant some unknown words, words that sounded like gibberish to human ears.

surrender weakling surrender weakling you are not welcome you are not welcome soul crusher undivine being. The others were completely unknown, but they sounded very powerful, nonetheless.

Bill finally stopped his chanting and his eyes and body glowed back to normal. Dipper's body jerked one last time before his eyes, too, began to glow back to normal. He fell to the ground and landed on his side forcefully, head bent over the ground. Loud sobbing was heard and blood continued to stream from his eyes. The woods returned back to normal and time resumed.

"Dipper!" Stan shouted as he ran over and leaned on the ground beside the boy. His whole body shook forcefully and a small pool of blood and tears had formed on the ground.

"Kid, are you alright?" Stan asked anxiously as he put a hand on his back, but he jerked away. Bill laughed again and hovered down in front of them. He was in his normal, small triangle form now.

"I told you, you shouldn't have messed with me, Pine Tree," he said nonchalantly. "But of course _you _types never listen."

Stan stood up. He felt rage course through him.

"Oh you're going to get it Cipher! I thought I was done with you back in day, but you keep popping back in like the little annoyance you are!" he yelled so loud that if anyone else were out in the woods, they would be able to hear him from a mile away.

"You might want to watch your language, Stanford" Bill smirked. "The kid was asking for it, and I gave it to him. It's not my fault that he pokes his head into everything he sees." He laughed one last time before rising up into the sky.

Stan was about to say something more, but Bill interrupted him. "Nothing more, I must go! Remember, the little runt was asking for it." The old man growled low in his throat and glared up at the demonic triangle smirking in front of him.

Bill raised his arms and his usual blue wheel appeared around him. He winked, and with that, he finally left after his oh so sweet goodbyes, leaving Stan to attend to the shaking traumatized boy on the ground.

His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach when he saw the scene of his great nephew laying on the hard ground in front of him.


	2. Stan's Flashback

One of you was wondering what website I was talking about and the name. It's called "The Mystery-Shack." Go to my profile for more.

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"Dipper!" Stan said as he bent down in front of the young boy lying on the ground. "Dipper, are you alright? Dip!"

He was still shaking forcefully from the effects of Bill's demonic doings, and he wouldn't respond to Stan's voice. The old man started to become very worried. A small pool of blood had collected on the ground next to the boy's body, staining the ground with a crimson color.

"Dipper," he tried touching the boy's shoulder again, only to find that he felt ice cold. He immediately pulled his hand back and felt his pulse. Thankfully there was one, very slow, but still going. Whatever Bill had done had been provoked through his body, and that was probably the reason why he felt so cold.

Stan had a very painful thought, a thought of one he was very close to before, when he was younger, except things had happened differently than they had now.

_"Stanley!" a younger version of Stan, more built looking and sleek, shouted from the side of a clearing in the Gravity Falls woods. _

_In front of him was none other than Bill Cipher, and another person who looked much like Stan; he had black-wired glasses and messier looking dark brown hair, rather than a buzzcut like Stan's. Other than that, they had the same body shape and face, looking exactly alike. They were twins._

_"Stanley!" young Stan shouted again in fear for his brother. "Bill, stop!" Stanley was being lifted high into the air, face expressionless as his eyes began to glow. The demon was chanting the most messed up language that Stan had ever heard, something that sounded foreign, and he didn't understand a single word of it. The words had a huge effect on Stanley though as he jerked and shook in Bill's grasp._

_Stanley knew too much; that was how Bill had put it. All of his days spent nose in books and reading inscribed writing on crumpled up pages, he had found out too much. And in an attempt to stop Bill himself, he had put himself at risk; in danger._

_Stan had often seen Stanley reading and writing all the time, but he never paid much mind as to what he was reading and writing. He wasn't a very big bookworm unlike his twin. He was always reading in the maroon book with the 1 on the front. _

_The other kids used to ridicule Stanley for always reading, and not being out playing sports like other guys would. A time back in their elementary school days their father even signed him and Stan up for wrestling. Although it didn't turn out very well. _

_At the moment though, Bill had gotten a hold of him, and he wasn't going to let go. Stan tried to get him to stop, he did everything from shouting and pleaing to trying to throw things. But it seemed that the possession couldn't be affected from anything on the outside._

_And it was in those painful next couple of minutes, the chanting, the yelling, the shouting...that he had just vanished. One moment he was high in the air, and the next, Stanley was gone. Stan had never yelled so loud in his life. He went right to where they just were, and leaned down to the ground. In the dust, lay a pair of black wire glasses, shining in the moonlight. _

_So Stan picked them up, not completely understanding anything that had just happened in the last hour they had been gone, and put them in his coat pocket. All he knew was that he was gone._

_And that might have been the first time he really sobbed in his life. _

That painful memory always haunted Stan when he was alone. But the only thing that was different then and now was that Bill hadn't taken Dipper and that he had done what he did for a slightly different reason than what he had for Stanley. Quickly he snapped out of his thoughts. His heart pounded as he tried once again to get Dipper to talk.

"Dipper, please, are you alright?" he tried again. The boy stopped shaking for awhile and what sounded like muffled sobbing had stopped. Slowly he lifted his head. Tears were still streaming down glistening red cheeks, and his upper lip was stained red from blood too. He could only croak two words out as it pained him to say anymore.

"G-Grunkle Stan?" he coughed and some blood came out onto the ground. Stan's gaze went to his back, and he slowly turned him over, examining his upper body. A large gash occupied his chest and some of his stomach, still slightly bleeding. Stan's eyes widened. He didn't understand how that had occurred at all, or how it could have happened, because Bill hadn't physically touched him.

His puzzlement only lead to a fear, what exactly had Bill done? How had it affected Dipper?

Gently he held the boy in his arms. Stan's first decision was that he had to get them back to the Shack so he could get someone to stay with Mabel. Hopefully she was asleep by now, but seeing that it was nearly ten o'clock on his watch, then she most likely was.

"Don't worry, Dipper, you'll be fine," Stan tried to reassure the younger boy in his arms, but he was really talking more to himself than to Dipper. Unbeknownst to Stan, as he stood up and rushed back towards the Shack with Dipper in his arms, the boys eyes flashed a bright blue color for a second before things became dark and they quickly fluttered closed.


	3. Blue Eyes, and Fear For One's Life

Guys, keep in mind I do have 6 chapters of this already up at "The Mystery-Shack." That's one of the reasons why I'm updating this story so quickly here, but don't expect it often.

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Brambles and twigs hit Stan from all sides, ripping his suit and creating small cuts on his skin as he ran down the forest path with Dipper in his arms. His mind told him which way to get back to the Shack, in the midst of a million thoughts swarming his mind at the moment.

Dipper had long since lost consciousness, but Stan was still puzzled over how he could have gotten a gash the length of a newly sharped pencil on his chest and stomach, since Bill hadn't physically touched him...maybe it was from landing on the ground too hard.

Finally, after what seemed like forever running, the Mystery Shack came into view. Stan thanked his lucky stars that they were back. He quickly ran up to the door and with one arm supporting Dipper in the crook of his shoulder, the other extended out to open the door, he pulled it open.

Really, leaving Mabel alone probably wasn't the best idea he could have made, but he knew that not very many people would try to break into a tourist trap at night. As he walked in, the whole Shack was dark; a sign that Mabel was already asleep. He flipped on the lights with his spare hand.

He gingerly placed the injured boy down in a chair and walked up to the counter of the kitchen quickly. He pulled out a piece of paper from the cabinet and began to scribble furiously on it with a black pen. Then, he took the cordless phone from the wall and began pressing numbers.

It went onto the dial tone for a couple of seconds before the person on the other end picked up, and a groggy voice thick with sleep spoke up.

"Ughh, Mr. Pines? Is that you?"

"Soos?" Stan asked. "We have a problem." The handyman on the other end, while not visible, straightened up in posture and cleared his voice.

"What's wrong, Mr. Pines? You sound like you're in a rush," he said, concerned. "What do you want me to do?" Stan cleared his throat and replied.

"I can't go into details, but I need you to come over here and watch Mabel while I'm gone, I need to get somewhere fast."

"Wait, what about Dipper?" Soos asked, confused.

"That's the thing. Can you just get over here quick?"

"Will do Mr Pines, I will not disappoint you," Soos said confidently from the other end.

"Good. Be here quick," Stan said as he looked over at the unconscious Dipper. "The sooner the better."

Both men hung up, and Stan sighed, glad to have at least one loyal employee ready around the corner to help. He walked out of the room and up the stairs, heading towards the attic. When he got there he opened the door quietly, and sure enough, there was Mabel sleeping soundly under her covers with Waddles lying next to her, snoring and snorting every once in a while.

Stan still held the note in his hand and placed it next to her pillow, knowing that she would probably see it in the morning. He left again downstairs into the kitchen, running to the spare closet. He reached up and pulled a large, red blanket down from the shelf and went over to the unconscious Dipper and wrapped it around his body, picking him up once again. He rushed outside into the night, only to nearly run into Soos, who had been walking up to the door, still slipping on a sneaker over his left foot.

"Well that was fast," the old con-man commented as he shut the door behind him.

"I said I wouldn't disappoint you, sir," Soos said bravely and saluted Stan. His eyes widened when he saw the injured Dipper in Stan's arms.

"Dude, what happened?" he asked in curiosity and confusion. "Is Dipper alright?"

It was an innocent question, but Stan knew he couldn't explain it all to the handyman and know he would get it, so he left with but a couple of sentences.

"It's really hard to explain," he said as he ran to his 1965 El Diablo and opened the backseat door, placing Dipper in the seat. "But promise me you'll watch the girl while we're gone. I need to get him to the hospital."

"Yeah dude," the handyman said as he walked up to the front door. A look of fear shown on his face for his young friend, but he saluted Stan once again. "I'll do whatever it takes."

The old man nodded before getting into the front seat of the car and speeding off in the direction of the nearest hospital. Soos was his most dependable employee, while a bit feeble-minded, he was still loyal. They left the Mystery Shack's lot and got onto the main road. As Stan drove, he could have sworn he saw something hiding in the bushes and trees out of the corner of his eye, but he was probably just imagining things. Maybe he was just hallucinating...

Jerking the wheel back and forth as he passed by cars and trucks, did he look into the rearview mirror and see that Dipper had opened his eyes slightly. They looked an icy blue color before turning back to his normal brown. But as soon as they were open they were closed again, so he didn't get a clear view of them any more.

"That Bill Cipher sure is a rotten one," Stan mumbled angrily to himself. "I'm probably just seeing things again...what with being old and all..."

He couldn't help but hide the glint of fear in his voice.


	4. At The Hospital

The hospital soon came into view as Stan weaved his way through traffic in the late night of Gravity Falls. He turned into the hospital entrance and quickly parked his car, nearly going over the bumper in front of the parking spot. He hastily got out of his seat and opened the back door, taking Dipper in his arms, and ran to the entrance of the hospital.

He burst through the double doors, causing some people who were standing by to look up with curiosity. He ran up to the receptionist's desk, almost out of breath. A young looking women with light brown hair tied up in a ponytail looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Dipper.

"Sir, what happened?" she asked she inspected the boy over.

"Can you just get a doctor out here quick?" Stan said with exasperation in his voice. "He's getting worse." The nurse nodded silently and turned around, cupping her hand to her mouth.

"Can a doctor please come out here quick!" she yelled. People stared on in awe from the sides, and Stan glared at them, making them look away. Soon, a tall looking older man in a doctor's coat came up to them with a clipboard. He set it down at the receptionist's desk.

"Mary, what's wrong?" She pointed to the heloless looking older man and the younger boy in his arms, and his expression sharpened. Without asking any questions, he took Dipper from Stan, and started to walk down the hall quickly, Stan following him all the way.

"How exactly did this happen?" he asked as he noticed the gash on Dipper's chest.

"I can't really explain," Stan said hastily. "You wouldn't understand, but he's been unconscious for a good half an hour now."

The man nodded, understanding the situation, and called for another doctor to come assist him. Stan followed the two men into another smaller room, a patients room. The doctor, known as Doctor Smith, set Dipper down on the table.

The doctor examined the gash on Dipper's chest and then his pulse. He still felt ice cold.

"Hmm..." he said as he let go of Dipper's arm and began to walk over to the counter, pulling out some papers. He scanned over them quickly.

"Well the gash on his chest looks moderately deep, enough that he's going to need some stitches," he said. "His pulse also seems to be a little slow, so we want to keep an eye on that," he turned his head to Stan. "And can you explain what happened?"

Stan twiddled his thumbs nervously before clearing his throat awkwardly. He would never believe that a demon possessed the boy, and that didn't even make sense to Stan, but he decided to use his good acting skills and lie; for now, at least.

"I'm really not sure. I went out looking for him earlier in the night, and found him unconscious on the ground with the gash on his chest," he said as sincerely as he could. The doctor seemed to be okay with that answer, and he nodded.

"If we're going to operate, we're going to need to operate now. We'll need to take him to the surgery room," he said as he called for a gurney with his headset. Someone came in, pushing the gurney through the door, and Dipper was set down on it. They went through the halls again and entered what was most likely the surgery area.

As soon as Stan had walked in though, a man held him back from going any further, and he tried looking around him to see Dipper being pushed further away.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he said as he tried getting around the man. "That's my great nephew! Why can't I see him?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't come into the surgery room while they are performing surgery. You will have to wait."

The doctor who had been attending to them turned around and motioned for Stan to follow him. "It's fine, Doctor James. We're not performing yet. We need to ask him a few questions."

Stan glared at the doctor who had been holding him back and brushed past him, following the other two doctors into a smaller room, filled with tons of different tools and objects as well as a large table. An operating room.

Dipper was set down gently on the table, and one of the men pulled an oxygen mask from a hook. "Sir, we're going to need to stitch up his chest right now. There's no telling what could happen after he gets the stitches, but this is more of a precautionary operation." Stan nodded. First Dipper was changed into more hospital-like attire, and his face was scrubbed clean, although he still looked deathly pale.

"We're going to have to make some incisions in his chest to stitch the gash up, and then check out some other things like arteries and veins to make sure nothing else was damaged or if anything's blocked.

"Okay," Stan said. "But how long do you think it's going to take, doctor?"

"It depends on how challenging the operation is. Sometimes it's very easy, and the patient is done in but two hours. Sometimes complications can occur, and it takes a longer amount of time to operate," the doctor explained. "Even though he does appear to be unconscious, we still need to put the mask on him in case he does wake up during surgery. You can stand by him until we start if you'd like."

Stan silently nodded as the surgeons prepared for the operation. He clutched onto Dipper's tiny hand as the oxygen mask was put over his nose and mouth, and the large swarm of men who had shown up began to surround the table, making Stan let go of his hand and step back.

He sighed deeply as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned around to see the same receptionist from when he first arrived with Dipper standing there.

"Sir, if you don't mind, we'd like to ask you some questions." she lead him away into the waiting room and the last thing he saw was the men starting to perform the surgery before the double doors closed behind them. He took a seat and the women started, a clipboard and pen in hand.

"What is the child's name?"

"Dipper. Dipper Pines." Stan said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Age?"

"12. He just turned a couple of months ago."

"Height? Weight?"

"Umm, I'm not exactly sure, around...4 in a half feet in height. Probably around 80 pounds."

She nodded. "And your name?"

"Stanford Pines."

She scribbled the information down on the clipboard and thanked him, walking off. The other people were still staring at him, like he had committed a crime. Which wasn't true in a heartbeat. He sighed again and slunk down into the hard waiting room chair, taking his fez off. He rubbed at his temples and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe everything that was happening.

Little did he know that a triangular-shaped figure was hovering outside of the waiting room window, glowing and smiling quietly in the dark. Oh this would be fun.


	5. Horrible Dreams

Thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews so far! I've been sick the last couple of days, so they make me feel a lot better.

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The next day was bright and beautiful, although there was a tinge of chill in the summer air as Mabel woke up from a wonderful slumber, her pet pig lying right beside her, still asleep. She yawned and looked over to the other side of the room. Dipper's bed looked the exact same way it had the day before, sheets spread out everywhere and blanket pulled up, a sign that he hadn't come back from the woods the night before.

Puzzlement overcame her, but she tried not to think too much about it as she climbed out of her bed, being careful not to wake the slumbering pig lying in her sheets.

Walking out of the attic quietly, she made her was down the stairs. The Shack was silent, as opposed to how it usually was this time in the morning. Stan would usually be making some kind of breakfast like pancakes or something, rambling on about current news from the newspaper. But it seemed there was no one around.

She finally made it to the bottom, and she turned the corner and into the kitchen, getting ready to fix herself a bowl of cereal. To her surprise, she saw Soos sitting at the table with Stan's bathrobe on, and a cup of coffee sitting in front of him.

"Uh, Soos? Why are you here? And wearing Grunkle Stan's bathrobe?" she asked as she walked over to the pantry. "I thought you left after work ended last night."

Soos took a sip from his cup and set it down. He awkwardly cleared his throat. He didn't want the girl to become alarmed if he told her about what happened while she was sleeping the night before, but he didn't want to lie either. But being the nice man he was, he tried telling her gently.

"I was sent to watch over you by your uncle last night," he said gently, watching how Mabel was reacting very closely.

"Wait, why? Did he go somewhere?" she said as she put a box of frosted flakes on the counter and began searching for a bowl.

"Well...something happened to Dipper."

Mabel's eyes widened as big as saucers and she stopped pouring the cereal she had begun pouring and set the box down. "What happened to him? Is Dipper...hurt?" she asked as she stood in front of Soos. The handyman cleared his throat again.

"I'm not even exactly sure what happened, hambone. All I know is that Mr. Pines called me over in the middle of the night to watch you, and when I got here, he was carrying your brother in a blanket. He looked really hurt."

"So they're at the hospital!" she burst as she threw her arms up, and then began to pace around the table. She tried to hide the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes. "Can we go there to see Grunkle Stan and Dipper! Do you think Dipper's alright? Is-"

"Woah, Mabel. I don't think we should really show up until your uncle calls or lets us know what's happening. We might get in the way of the doctors."

"But-"

"Sorry, Mabel," he said. "But I'm sure your brother is just fine. He's gotten through tons of hard things before, he'll get through this."

"Do you really think so, Soos?" He nodded and opened his arms. Mabel ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. She hoped her brother was alright.

...

"Oh how sweet. Question Mark and Shooting Star are worried for that little runt. Well, what's a dream demon gonna do? Make you feel better and give you a lollipop? Ha!" Bill mumbled to himself as he hovered outside of the hospital Dipper was being held at. In front of him was a small, holographic image, and in it shown Mabel and Soos in the Mystery Shack's kitchen, currently locked in a tight hug.

He had opened it up to see their reactions to the boys fall out, and he was happy with the results. Oh how he loved to give others pain. Speaking of which...he hadn't of done anything to the child of topic during the surgery, but he was planning to do something later on. Maybe a multitude of things. The day was still young, and if there was anyone he wanted to mess with more, it was Dipper.

But Pine Tree had already been perhaps traumatized, Bill knew that for a fact because he had done something to the boy when he was controlling him, something deep in his chest, his heart. He would get more sweet revenge, he would put that boy in his place. And soon he would be too weak and frail to fight back, since Bill knew that was what he would try to do. It was all part of his plan. That was a promise.

And Bill Cipher never backed down on a promise.

...

It had been an exhausting night. Stan ended up falling asleep in the hard plastic hospital chair waiting for the results of Dipper's operation. The doctors told him before they were going to have to make some incisions and check if everything was alright in Dipper's chest, but he hadn't heard of anything yet so far.

It might have been hours before he got any news, and he was so far off into sleep that it took the doctor awhile to get him up before his eyes slowly cracked open and he sat up faster than a bullet. He grunted and adjusted his fez and glasses, wiping at a bit of drool that had formed on the corner of his lip before looking up at the doctor in front of him.

"So what are the results?" he asked urgently as the doctor went through some papers he was holding. He seemed a bit stressed as he ran his hands through his curly black hair, eyes gliding through each line and word on the paper quickly.

"Well Mr Pines," he finally addressed. "We managed to stitch his chest up, but something still appears to be wrong..." Another doctor showed up and Doctor Smith whispered something in his ear before the other rushed off in the opposite direction direction.

"Well what is it?" Stan pushed. The curiosity may as well been killing him. And he was worried.

"We checked, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with any veins or arteries, but his pulse is still very slow. He became conscious at one point, but for the most part he's been out of it. We've tried putting him on different medicines and antibiotics to see if it helps any."

It took Stan a minute to comprehend what Doctor Smith had just said, but he finally snapped back to reality and nodded.

"You may come back and see him, if you want. Currently he's asleep."

Stan followed the doctor down the hall and into another room, the room where Dipper was being held. He was lying in the bed, eyes closed and chest slowly rising up and down as he slept. There was an IV pole by the bed, and a needle stuck in his arm, currently transporting liquids from the IV into his veins. He still looked awfully pale.

"If anything worse happens, we'll be keeping an eye on him, Mr. Pines," Doctor Smith explained. "Our other doctor here will be keeping watch." As if on cue, the other doctor he had been speaking to earlier walked in.

Then Dipper stirred slightly, and a barely audible groan was heard, making all three of the men look back at him.

...

Dipper's dreams were filled with darkness and gloom. He was standing in the middle of a dark space, but a dim glow from above was allowing him to see around him. More inky blackness surrounded him, and it was eerily quiet.

He could sense someone nearby, and he pulled back, staring up to who he thought the figure was.

"Hello?" he asked somewhat wimpily. It echoed in the dark and reminded him much of how words would echo in a cave.

"Is anyone there?" he asked again. Then a voice spoke, so close he felt warm breath on the side of his neck, and the words right in is ears, sending shivers up his spine.

"Welcome to your death, Pine Tree."

His blood ran cold. He stepped back with considerable speed, his breath rapid. He only knew one person who called him Pine Tree.

He had no time to ask who it was before a loud laughing filled his ears, causing him to clutch them tightly as he squeezed his eyes shut. The laughing became louder and Dipper found himself trying to run away from the laughing, screeching noise. But he was starting to slow down, and he couldn't get his body to move faster before he heard the voice in his ear again.

"Didn't you learn what would happen if you tried to run away from me?"

The laughing continued, becoming louder and louder, causing Dipper to clutch his ears again. He could feel something beginning to coil around him, tightening, nearly squeezing the life out of him. He found it harder to breath as he struggled in whatever it was's grasp. It looked like thin wisps of blue fog that was somehow being controlled, tightening, untightening, and tightening again. He was about to say something, but the fog wrapped around his mouth, cutting off his ability to talk.

He whimpered slightly as he caught a glimpse of someone, and he knew it was Bill Cipher. He struggled in the fog's grip, but he felt himself slowly losing consciousness.

His eyes closed before they opened again, and the dream demon was right in front of him, staring at him with his wide, dark menacing eye. Dipper's own eyes were pleaing and frightened, and Bill saw the fear in them, but he just laughed again.

Then it got warm, so warm, it was unbearable. It was suffocating. Dipper felt himself begin to hyperventilate, beginning to suffocate. He couldn't breath, but there was nothing he could do, he was trapped. He couldn't move nor cry for help.

The laughing filled his ears again before everything became foggy, and his eyes jolted open, a shrill scream escaping his lips, sounding much weaker than intended. He felt a jolt of pain in his chest, and a large arm on his shoulder. His vision was still slightly blurry, and he looked up to see what appeared to be a man with dark curly black hair and a labcoat, looking at him with worried eyes, another man standing behind him. He saw Stan on the other side, wearing the same expression the other men were.

He soon figured out that the men were doctors, and that he was in a hospital bed, but things were coming in bits and pieces to him, since he was still shocked from his dream.

"S_n ar_ y_u alr_g_?"

"_ta_d bac_ g_ve _im s_o_e s_ace!"

"D_pper a_e yo_ okay?"

"Dipper are you okay?"

"Huh? What?" he asked weakly as the doctor with the black hair, Doctor Smith, began to speak to him.

"Are you alright, son?" he asked gently, yet seriously. "Can you hear us?"

"Yeah," he nodded, but he was shaking. That dream...it was so vivid...

"You were mumbling and struggling in the bed, Dipper. You looked close to tears," Stan said with worry. "What happened?"

"Just a dream," he barely mumbled before he felt Doctor Smith put a hand on his wrist, checking for any signs of an increasing pulse.

"Your pulse is still oddly slow, but it's quicker now," he explained. "How do you feel?"

Honestly, Dipper felt horrible. His chest hurt and his head was pounding from that horrible dream he had, and he felt like he could barely move. Lethargy came over him. He felt like he had been sucked of all energy. Than those words Bill had said to him in his dream, and that gibberish he heard when Bill was possessing him, it made him shiver endlessly and cower into a ball. For some reason he understood them with such clarity that it was scaring him.

"I feel horrible," he mumbled as he felt the doctor lay him back down onto the bed. He could barely go on before the effects of the antibiotics he was being put on kicked in, and his eyes were closing again, and right before they closed, they glowed a stronger blue than they ever had, before he was completely out of it and submerged into the depths of slumber once again.

"Do you think he had a nightmare?" The other doctor asked as he felt Dipper's forehead.

"Medicine can do those things to a child," Doctor Smith commented. "It'd be best if we keep an eye on him. Mr. Pines, you may stay if you want while we go attend to some business in another area, just yell if anything happens."

Stan pulled up a chair and sat in it, watching Dipper closely, ready to come to his aid if anything else happened. He felt a strange parent-like side kick in, causing him to flush. He wasn't used to these types of situations, not at all, and it was making him feel weird. But he was really worried for his great-nephew. One thing he noticed though that it seemed the other doctors didn't, was that Dipper's eyes glowed blue again before he fell back into sleep.


	6. Just Rest

It must have been hours later before Dipper woke up again. He slowly began to adjust to his surroundings and sat up when he felt another wave of lethargy overcome him. He turned and saw that there was an empty chair near the bed and that the door to the hospital room was ajar slightly. Soft voices were heard on the other side, and he strained to listen to what exactly was being said. It sounded like one of the doctors, the one who had asked him how he was feeling.

Somehow he actually felt worse than he did before. No dreams haunted him again, but he was afraid they would if he went to sleep again. He felt weak and sick, and there was a dull pain in his chest and a slight pounding above his temples that sent pain throughout his skull every time it beat.

Just when he thought he was completely alone, he saw the door to the room open and Doctor Smith and Stan walked in. Stan was holding a phone, so he had most likely been calling back to the Shack. Wait a second, the Shack!

Dipper had nearly forgotten about Mabel. What with everything that had happened the night before, he hadn't even had thought about her. He wondered if she was okay, if she had found out about what happened. He saw the two men walk over to him and he mustered up enough strength to speak to Stan.

"Is Mabel okay?" he asked. His voice was a lot hoarser than he had imagined it would be.

"Soos is watching her," Stan told him. "She knows that you're here."

"She must be worried sick about me," Dipper groaned and flopped back down into the bed. He cringed as another jolt of pain went through his skull. The doctor seemed to notice this and walked over to him, checking his forehead.

"Where exactly does it hurt?" he asked quietly. Dipper pointed to his head and chest, trying not to hiss as he felt the doctor take his hand away from his forehead and put it on his chest. "And do you feel any kind of sickness at all?"

"I feel all achy and weak," he said.

"Would you say worse than before?" Dipper nodded.

"Hmmm..." the curly haired doctor said as he put another pillow behind Dipper's head, hoping it would ease some of the pain. "I see. Well I know I keep saying this, but it seems rest is the only thing you can do to help it at the moment."

Stan saw the look in Dipper's eyes as soon as he said that. He looked uncomfortable, frightened.

"Doc, do you think maybe we could be alone?" he asked. Doctor Smith nodded and left the room, leaving Stan and Dipper alone to talk. The old man sat on the edge of the bed and cleared his throat.

"Hey, I saw that look in your eyes. Are you not up to resting or what?" he asked gently. "What's going on?" The look in his eyes was of genuine concern, and Dipper was surprised how much this ordeal was changing his uncle.

"No...it's just that, I don't know..."

"C'mon Dip, you can tell me," Stan said as he pushed Dipper on. Dipper sighed deeply and decided to tell Stan the truth. He couldn't hold it in any longer, or else he would just become a trembling mess, and he would always be the only one to know about the dream he had.

"Do you know who was in my dream earlier, the one where I was freaking out?" he asked quietly. Stan nodded no, but an idea of who it was started to form in his head.

"B-Bill was in the dream," the boy stuttered. Everything started to pour out in multiple sentences. "It seemed so real, so vivid...and it was scary."

Stan beckoned for him to continue on. Dipper sighed again and continued on.

"It was dark and me and him were the only ones there and..." he trailed off as if he struggled to find the right words to go on. Stan listened on intently, not missing out on a single word.

When Dipper finally found the words to go on, his voice was much quieter. "He said 'welcome to your death' and everything that happened after that was crazy. No one was there to help me...I think he..." there was a short pause. "...killed me."

He was now visibly shaking again as if everything was just coming back to him. Stan understood and quickly put an arm around his great nephew's shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort him the best he could. Dipper put his head down.

"I'm afraid to sleep because I keep thinking Bill's going to come back," he confessed. "And do something...worse."

They both sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on what Dipper had just said. Bill had the kind of power to do that to a person, and possibly more. That was something they didn't want to think about or experience. It could have very well been the end back in the woods the night before, had Stan not shown up...

Dipper stared of to the side of the bed. "I just feel a little homesick," he said quietly. "I miss Mabel and the Shack...and Mom and Dad too..."

There was something about being in the hospital that made him feel really upset and homesick, whether it was how he was feeling or the threat of Bill coming back. He longed to see Mabel.

"I, uh, understand how you feel kiddo," Stan said . "I just don't think Soos and Mabel should visit now, what with different things going on. You'll probably be better by tomorrow, and then we can leave."

"I know," Dipper sighed. "I'm just afraid."

There was a large contrast in his voice and attitude from the night before and now. Last night he was brave, he thought he could stand up to Bill, but now, everything seemed a little different. It was sad.

...

The next few hours weren't all that interesting. Stan phoned back to the Mystery Shack to let Mabel and Soos know what was going on, and that they were going to stay longer. Soos told him that he would would keep watching Mabel until they came back, and the over joyous girl seemed upset that she couldn't see her brother, but she went on. This made Stan sad, but this was between him and Dipper, he didn't want her to get caught up in the mess.

Dipper didn't do much but just lye in the bed and not talk very much as evening time approached. Stan noticed that he was being quiet, and that he was starting to take on a more sick-like appearance, pale, glazed eyes, a far away look. He was still afraid that Bill would reappear in his dreams.

Stan tried coaxing him into getting at least a little bit of sleep so he could gain some energy, even though he knew he was afraid. He felt that he really needed it.

"Look Dipper, I know you're afraid, but you have to get at least a little bit of sleep, or else you'll have zero energy," he said as he stood by his bed. But every time Dipper shook his head, and whispered a 'no'. Stan was starting to worry about the way he was acting.

"Well you're going to fall asleep sometime, kid, I guarantee it. And I just have to tell you something for when you do." He sat on the bed and forced Dipper to look into his eyes, as he was currently looking down.

"If Bill or something bad shows up, you fight it off the best you can. Use that mind of yours and scare it off, do whatever it takes for _you_ to get rid of it. Promise me you'll try." He stood back up, and watched as Dipper seemed to be considering this. Hie eyes went back and forth for a moment before he nodded and managed a small smile at his uncle.

"I'll try," he said quietly. Stan smiled back.

"Well good. Just try to rest up, okay?"

Dipper nodded and sighed softly, sinking down into the bed. Somehow Stan's advice made him feel better, and he was grateful that he was still there. He watched as Doctor Smith came into the room to check on both of them, and as he adjusted some of the sheets on his bed and talked to Stan. Dipper seemed to barely pay attention as he went over the words in his head.

_Fight it off...fight it off. Don't worry, just fight it off..._

* * *

You guys are so sweet. ^^ Don't worry, things will get up and going again soon.~


	7. Telepathic Links

This chapter takes place on the same night, just to let you know. Thanks once again for the reviews.

* * *

Mabel sat up in her bed, looking to the other side of the attic bedroom she and Dipper shared. His bed was still the same as it had been one or two days ago; messy sheets and blankets a strewn. A part of her had a feeling that what was going on was more than just a hospital accident. She could sense it.

You see, being twins and all, Dipper and Mabel had a special bond. A bond that allowed them to know when the other was in distress or in trouble, even how they were feeling and thinking. Whether it was real or not, Mabel knew that her brother was in deeper trouble than supposed.

Mabel remembered whenever she and Dipper were little, she always knew when he was being bullied. It had happened a lot, since he was always more quiet and reserved, and never had very many friends. The older boys would pick on him because of it, and because of his small size. And especially when the news of his birthmark had spread around. There was almost always a click in her mind, a small jolt of alertness, and she knew that he was in trouble. That was one of the great parts of being twins. She would go up and tell those bullies what was, and that always got them to run away like little girls.

She had to admit that made her feel a little strong.

Soos wouldn't tell her about anything that was going on, and at first she had been mad. But then she came to realize that even he didn't know what was going on either. It wasn't his fault. But she hated not knowing things.

It was midnight, and as the crickets chirped and the moon shone outside, Mabel couldn't help but feel alone. She knew Soos had his heart set in the right place, but she really wanted her Grunkle Stan and her brother, who had been gone ever since that evening two days ago.

The next day she planned to tell Soos that they were going to go see them at the hospital, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. She needed to know what was going on. As a sister.

In the back of her mind, she knew that something was bothering Dipper, something was doing things to him, and she didn't know what. She could tell in her mind that he was frightened, that something much bigger had traumatized him.

Whether it be some kind of creature or object, she knew that he was in trouble. She wished so badly to be by his side, to see him again, to figure out this mystery. She had never felt more like her brother at that moment.

The girl's eyes slid down to the ground, and she noticed a small piece of paper laying on the floor by her bedside table. Curiosity sparking in her, she climbed out of her bed, careful not to wake her pudgy pig, and picked it up. Sure enough, it looked like Stan's handwriting scrawled out in black ink, but much messier, like he had been in a hurry when he wrote it.

_Dear Mabel,_

_A lot of things are going on right now. To cut to the chase, something happened to your brother and we're going to be at the hospital for who knows how long. Don't worry about who's watching you, I got Soos to. He says he doesn't mind. _

_We'll see each other soon, hopefully. Just wanted you to know so you don't get upset in the morning._

_-Grunkle Stan_

Mabel looked up from the note and realized that Stan must have put the note on her pillow the night that the incident had happened. She must not have noticed it when she woke up in the morning and let it fall.

Well that would have been nice to see when she woke up.

Nevertheless she would get up early the next day and get Soos to drive her to the hospital. She was going to get some information.

The girl almost didn't notice that something was poking out from underneath her brother's bed, and curiously she stood up to see what the said item was. Getting down on her knees, she pulled the object out as some dust flew up from the underside of the bed. Wow that place was dusty.

Mabel coughed once and looked down to see the familiar golden hand of Book 3 shining up at her. It looked like it had been untouched for days. Mabel raised an eyebrow as she set the book in her lap. Dipper always had the book with him, no matter what. It was kind of crazy, to keep a book with you all the time, but that was just how he was.

So he hadn't taken it out with him the night everything happened? She remembered he had said he was going out in the woods to think and clear his mind a little, so she guessed maybe he just didn't bother to take it with him that time.

She decided to look through it, to possibly see if she could find out what had happened to Dipper. She doubted that there would be information that would tell her, but a part of her hoped that there was.

_Floating Eyeballs, _she read silently in her mind as her eyes slid over the words. _Vampire Bats, Gnomes...Cursed Doors?_ Nothing seemed to catch her interest that would fit in the 'traumatizing' and 'messing with' category.

Sighing, Mabel set the book down and proceeded to stand back up and climb into her bed. She pulled up the covers and stared up at the ceiling, gently stroking Waddles' head, hoping that maybe the answer would come to her the next day, whether it be from a real person, or her own mind.

She herself was starting to feel uneasy about it, unsettled.

The telepathic link was getting stronger.


	8. Reunited, For Now

"C'mon Soos, hurry up!" Mabel's voice rang throughout the Mystery Shack as she pulled on a light purple jacket and stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth. It was perhaps slightly too early in the morning to be wanting to go to the hospital to visit Dipper, but Mabel was filled to the brim with questions and worries about what had happened to her brother days ago. In fact, her mind was chugging away with ideas and theories, which was actually pretty unusual for her, and it was threatening to spill out.

It was in fact so early in the morning that a part of the sky was still slightly tinted a bluish-black and the birds were just emerging from the woods, singing their morning songs in endless chirping unison. Oregon mornings could be so peaceful, but for the young girl standing in the Mystery Shack's kitchen, it was less than peaceful.

"Soos!" Mabel called again as she went to the foot of the stairs, only to see the handyman slowly shuffle down the steps, still wearing Stan's bathrobe (which Mabel was sure Stan would not like if he found out) and a pair of slippers, rubbing his head and rubbing sleep tears out of his eyes.

"Soos, why aren't you dressed?" The girl said in an exasperated tone as she threw her hands up. "We have to go visit Dipper, now. You said we could today!"

"I know, Hambone, but don't you think it's a little early to be visiting?" he asked as he stretched his arms and yawned once again. "I mean, I want to see Dipper as much as you do, but it's barely even dawn. We should at least wait another hour or two."

"But Soos, it's been almost three days! I need to know what happened to him!" she shouted back. "It's no fair that we can't go now."

Soos walked closer to the girl as he tried to stifle another yawn. She crossed her arms in defiance and let out a huff. It was clear she wouldn't go without a fight.

"We are going to go, Mabel, don't worry," Soos said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Just get a little food in your body first. That one piece of toast isn't going to help you last."

"How did you know I had toast?" Mabel said as her crossed arms loosened. "I thought you were asleep until just a minute ago, and you were upstairs!"

Soos smiled and let out a low chuckle, knowing he had just gotten to her. "Trust me dude, I just know these things. I promise you we'll go visit Dipper in around an hour or two. Just not now, please?" he pleaded. Mabel's eyebrows lifted as she looked over the almost still asleep man standing in front of her. Her brain suddenly clicked and she came to an agreement.

"Okay..." she said slowly as she began to walk out of the hall and to the living room. She pulled herself into Stan's yellow armchair and sighed. "But you'd better be dressed by then. And clean," she said as she held her nose.

"We'll take my pickup truck," Soos said as he began to walk to the kitchen to prepare a small breakfast for just him and Mabel. The Shack was much quieter than it usually was, it was kind of eerie.

...

A few hours later, Soos' truck sped along the road leading to the hospital, picking up dirt and spitting it out behind it as they drove. It was now much brighter and the sun was up. Mabel sat in the passenger seat, her legs dangling off the front and swinging back and forth as she stared out the window.

Her eyes drifted to her jacket and she unzipped it a little, revealing book three on the inside. Although it hadn't been much help to her the night before, Mabel planned to bring it to Dipper anyway, to maybe lift his spirits and make him feel better. Oh how she longed to see him.

"Watc'ha messing with there, Hambone?" Soos asked, eyes still focused on the road in front of him.

"Oh, just...Dipper's journal," she said absently mindedly as she zipped up her jacket again.

"Oh."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. When the hospital finally came into view, Mabel was ecstatic as could be.

The truck pulled into the parking lot, a spot was found, and the two climbed out. Mabel began jumping up and down like it was Christmas Morning and she saw all the presents under the tree.

Together the duo walked to the front entrance and went inside. They walked over to what they assumed was the receptionist's desk and were greeted by a plump, cheerful looking young woman, the same one from before when Stan and Dipper had arrived.

"Hello, and how may I help you?" she smiled as Soos began to speak.

"We'd like to see Dipper Pines, ma'am."

"Oh..." she said as the cheerful look on her face lessened slightly, but it immediately brightened again. "He's in room 107, third door on the left," she said as she pointed to the hallway. "You'll know when you see it."

"Thank you!" Mabel responded, cheerfulness evident in her voice. She nearly skipped ahead of Soos and soon found herself in front of room 107. Soos walked up behind her and knocked.

...

Sure enough, there was the figure of Dipper lying in the hospital bed, eyes closed and sleeping. His face was paler than usual and an I.V was stuck in his arm. Dark rings circled under his eyes and if Mabel thought that she looked exhausted before, she knew now that she was no match for how Dipper looked. Basically, he looked exhausted.

Stan walked up to them as they stood at the entry of the room. He put a finger to his mouth and motioned over to Dipper, and the two understood his signal. Mabel tried to stay quiet.

"So...what really happened?" She asked as she sat in one of the hospital rooms plastic grey chairs. "He looks so tired and exhausted...is he alright?"

She looked into Stan's eyes and quite honestly, he looked very unsure. Perhaps it was because he wasn't sure if Mabel could take the news in or because of Bill. Either way, he didn't have a quick answer. Pulling nervously at his collar, he looked to the side.

"Listen, kid, it's really hard to explain..."

"What do you mean hard to explain?" She scoffed and laughed a little nervously. "Just what happened out in the woods a couple of nights ago?"

"Uh..." Soos and Mabel stared at him for an answer, only making him more nervous. He had to find some way to break the news to them without it coming as a huge panic. And huge panic meaning screaming a running around for dear life, as he was sure the girl would do.

"Mabel...I don't think you're ready to hear it," he confirmed as Mabel frowned. "I'll tell you later."

"But-"

"Later. You too, Soos."

The roughness in his voice caused Mabel to stop asking as keep her mouth shut. She turned her head over to the bed, where she saw Dipper was just starting to wake up. All suspicions of Stan left her mind and a half-mile grin grew across her face.

"Dipper!" she yelled as she rushed over to the side of the bed. She seemed to have gotten his attention and he turned to see her smiling largely at him. He had never looked more happy in his life.

"Mabel!" he said, voice slightly hoarse and cracking a bit, but okay for the most part. Mabel nearly pulled him into a bear hug but made sure to steer clear of the I.V.

"Ohmygosh are you alright?" she began asking. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Are-"

She was interrupted again for the hundredth time that day alone.

"Relax, Mabel, I'm fine," he said as coughed. "Just kind of tired..."

"You look like you haven't slept well in days! And I thought I wasn't sleeping good..." she said, the last part more to herself than anything.

"It's nice to see you, dude," Soos said as he stuck a fisted hand out and Dipper pulled his up, bumping against it.

"Thanks, man," he mumbled as he rubbed under his eye. "I'm really glad to see you guys."

"Oh, and Dipper, I brought book three," Mabel said as she unzipped her jacket and set the book down on the bed. "Just in case you wanted it, you know. To read or something."

Dipper's eyes lit up when he saw the book. "Thanks, Mabel," he said as he picked it up.

For a moment everything was normal again, and they were happy and cheerful, but Mabel could still sense that something was wrong. She knew she could definitely feel it the night before, and something told her that something much deeper was going on that neither Stan nor Dipper would tell her about.

For the first thing, it was kind of unusual to see Dipper looking so exhausted and sleep-deprived. She knew that sometimes he had those days, but he looked really bad now. Ideas jogged in her small mind.

Just then the Doctor known as Doctor Smith walked into the room. He greeted Mabel and Soos, and then walked over to Stan. Mabel saw Stan pull him aside and see him whisper something into the man's ear, but she couldn't quite make it out.

The only word she knew she definitely heard was "nightmares."

...

Bill scoffed as he watched the reunion of the Pines' family. Watching the girl look so concerned over the boy, question after question, hugs...it sickened him.

The triangle demon closed the hologram he was looking into and floated off to somewhere else, opening up a much larger hologram. This time it appeared to show a profile.

He scowled and scanned over the page, finding nothing useful. He had been giving the boy nightmares for days now, but that wasn't enough. He wanted something more.

He did as his uncle said, Dipper tried to fend him off in the dream world, but he never actually succeeded. That's exactly what Bill knew the boy would try to do, fight back. It was such a pity.

Bill was plotting something. He looked into the profile again, this time the image of the young boy, Dipper, showing up on the screen. Under the picture was endless text, all information about him, his personality, etc. It was part of Bill's job to have profiles on everyone. And Dipper's especially intrigued him.

His abilities in problem solving and paying attention to detail, his weird, quirky personality, everything seemed to intrigue him. And now, his plan since the very night he had possessed him would unfold.

Did he not know that the scar, the gash in his chest was more than just an injury? Bill had total control over him. And he knew his plan would work.

You could say the blue eyes made him more vulnerable.

By night, the boy would be his.

* * *

Don't think that this is coming to an end anytime soon, guys. It's actually going to start getting pretty crazy, so buckle yourselves in and hold on tight. Might even have to crank up the rating to T.

And remember, Bill knows where you live.


	9. Headaches and Weaknesses

_By night, the boy would be his._

Morning soon drifted into afternoon, and then afternoon into late afternoon. The bright, sunny morning that was was fading quick, and soon ominous dark clouds began to fill the sky, blocking out the sun and all else that dared to be in the sky. None were expecting this, but it was paid barely any attention. Summer storms tended to be normal, especially in Oregon.

Soos and Mabel visited for a little while longer to keep Dipper company in the hospital room. Doctors had come in numerous times to check on how Dipper was doing and to see if they were all okay, which they were. The handyman tried passing the time by telling stories, most of which were a bit far-fetched and didn't make much sense, but it was enough to drown out the rain that was beginning to pour outside.

"...there was this dude who was once said to have been a part of some kind of...society, or something close to that, and it..."

A rumble of thunder sounded, echoing off into the distance as the handyman told his story.

A doctor was fiddling with the I.V hook next to Dipper's bed and another was asking Stan some more questions off in the corner of the room, voices hushed. Every once in a while they would look back at the bed and then turn back around, continuing their conversation. Any other day, Dipper might have found that to be a bit suspicious, but at the moment he was mainly paying attention to Soos, or at least trying to.

The boy kept wanting to nod off into slumber, but he forced himself, his brain, to stay awake. Partly for the reason of not wanting to have the dreams again, and partly so he could see Soos and Mabel for a longer time. He was afraid if he fell asleep they would be gone. Watching the doctor who was messing with the I.V, he sighed.

He could feel the dark bags under his eyes and knew that he was not in a good condition, but he didn't know what else would be done, could be done to help him. He felt completely helpless in a place where you were supposed to get help.

On the inside, he was screaming. The more dreams he had, the more vivid they became. And each time they became a little creepier, scarier, horrific. The first one was bad enough, but the ones that were after had his heart racing and once he found that his eyes were wet and cheeks were shining with tears.

His head pounded from not enough sleep, and he could barely register what Mabel was saying to him then. He could only see her mouth moving and hand gesturing slightly, and he wished that he was able to read lips.

"Dipper..." Mabel said, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah?" he said as soon as he was able to hear and think more clearly. His twin gave him a weird look for a second before motioning to Soos.

"I said, did you think Soos' story was good?"

"His story..." he trailed off for a second before snapping back to attention. "Yeah. Yeah, it was pretty good, Soos."

Honestly, he didn't even think he had heard the last half of it, as he had been off in his own world. But he lied to make Soos happy.

As expected, the handyman smiled and gave him a nod of approval. Dipper gave a small smile back before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, about ten times worse than how his head was already feeling. It caused him to yelp and clutch the sides of his skull on instinct.

It seemed to catch the others attention, and all eyes turned to him. The boy looked up to see the doctor by his side, eyes filled with concern. The pain was overwhelming, and he clutched his head tighter to try to ease it, eyes clenching shut.

Once again, the doctor's lips moved, but Dipper could not hear him. He truly felt like he would blackout, and he held his breath in fear of doing so.

_Not gonna black out, not gonna black out..._he struggled to think to himself as he felt a forceful tug on his arm, and he opened his eyes and looked up again to see Mabel pointing at him. There seemed to be an expression of shock on her face, and she appeared to be talking as well.

"W-what?" he choked out in pain.

He could just barely hear Mabel shout.

"His eyes are blue!"

_B-blue?_

He yelped one last time before the overwhelming sensation seemed to leave, and all that was left behind was the same dull, throbbing in his head that Dipper had been experiencing for days. His senses seemed to be agreeing with him now and he shakily turned his head up. His family as well as the doctor looked at him with worry, and even slight shock, it looked like.

"Are you alright, son?" The doctor asked as he moved closer to the side of the bed. "What happened?"

"I, uhh..." he began to say, but stuttered slightly. "My head really hurt for a second..."

"What kind of pain was it?" he asked again. "Do you think you can describe it?"

Dipper gulped and tried to collect his words. "Sharp...stabbing."

"Did it hurt before?"

"Yeah...except it was duller and not nearly as sharp..." he began to say as he felt a hand on his leg. Three, actually. Mabel, Stan, and Soos were looking at him, all with mixed expressions.

"Okay. Do you feel alright for now?" he asked in a more gentle tone. Dipper nodded, although he still didn't feel the best in the world.

The man walked out of the room before addressing Stan again, and that only left the four, alone. No one had said anything about his eyes, and apparently Mabel had said they were blue, but Dipper was puzzled why. Why would his eyes be blue? He and Mabel's had been brown since the day they were born.

"Eyes don't just change colors like that...do they?" he said all of a sudden, voice quiet.

All four of them nodded no.

Another loud rumble of thunder sounded, a jagged bolt of lightning following nearly straight afterwards. It flashed and cracked before all that could be heard again was the rain pouring.

...

Night approached quicker than Dipper thought it would. The rest of the day after the little incident seemed to be a blur of chattering, conversation, and attending to him...as well as lots of questions from different doctors. Before he knew it, Soos and Mabel had to leave, and he found that he really didn't want them to.

But he knew they couldn't stay for the whole night, so he watched as Mabel pulled on her jacket and Soos got up from the chair, and said their farewells.

He saw Mabel run up to him and jump up onto the bed, pulling him into a tight hug. He happily accepted it and hugged back, happy for some warmth...and safety. He had never felt safer when their arms were around each other, but that quickly faded as soon as he felt her detach. With another goodbye, they were gone. Gone again.

Stan seemed to notice the hint of sadness on his face and tried to be caring. "You'll see them again, Dip. Hopefully you'll be out of here soon."

"When do you think we can actually tell them what happened?" he asked. "It's been long enough, they need to know the truth sometime."

Stan looked sullen for a moment, then looked away.

"It's because I don't think they would be able to handle it. Your sister wouldn't, at least. They'll find out in time, kid, but for now, it needs to stay how it is," he said briskly.

Dipper looked down for a moment and then back up. "Okay."

"And plus, with Bill still around doing whatever to you, I don't want them to have to get caught up in it. He's still dangerous."

"I really don't know," Dipper said as he sighed. He felt his throat begin to close, and he was sure that tears were going to come on. "He keeps showing up in my dreams, scaring me, frightening me...and I'm still so weak and sick..."

Stan only watched as Dipper talked on. His voice became higher and higher as he spoke.

"What does he want from me?" That was when his voice broke.

The old man felt like his heart might break, for one of the first times in his life. An honest answer would have been what was right, but he didn't have one.

"I don't know, Dipper. But we'll get through this," he said as Dipper sniffed. His look was serious and reassuring. The boy looked discouraged for a moment, but he gave in.

He still had so many questions, so many things he wanted answers for, but he was far too weary for that.

He soon fell into the depths of slumber that had been ever so threateningly pulling at his mind all day. He didn't even care anymore.

Still, before he fell completely asleep, an odd shiver went up his spine, and he had the most peculiar feeling that he was being watched. The same kind of watched he felt whenever a creature of monster was hunting after him and Mabel out in the woods. Or whenever he was alone and heard a noise from close by.

_Zzzzz..._

* * *

I promise, the next chapter will be horrifying and full of action. This was kind of supposed to be more reflecting on...feelings and more internal conflicts, I guess. Expect pure horror. Thanks for all the support as well, I honestly didn't expect as much reviews and favs/follows as I have gotten! And I am very grateful.

Until next time, and you're going to need more than a frying pan to stop Bill.

Remember, he's always watching.


	10. Taking What's His

Bill dusted himself off a bit and examined himself in a mirror, happy with what he had just done. Now, instead of being a small, triangle shaped demon, he was in an actual human body. His own body, he thought. Sure it was weird not being able to float and soar around wherever he pleased, but it was needed for a part of his plan to take place.

He had golden, yet dark, blonde hair that went a little off the side of his face, and moderately light skin. A black eye patch covered where his left eye should have been, and he was clad in a dark yellow suit and brown dress pants, all strung together with a small black bow. A scruffy little goatee hung at the end of his chin.

"Not too bad, " the now humanized demon said to himself as he turned around all the way to see all sides of himself. "I should take this form more often." Nodding to affirm himself, he turned away from the mirror, nearly tripping over his own two feet as he began to walk.

"I would take this form more often...if I was better used to how the human body works," the man mumbled as he steadied himself. "Legs are so annoying."

Bill wandered off to where a small table was located, and smiled as a holographic screen flicked on above him. The profile of Dipper that Bill had been examining before shown bright, the letters large and bold and a shot of Dipper clear and sharp.

"Yes..." he said as his eyes...eye skimmed over the text for about the tenth time, reading endless information that perhaps had been burned into his mind by now. He didn't waste any time as he did so, and then turned abruptly, chuckling to himself.

"This will be a piece of cake," he said confidently as he reached for something, a small bottle-like object, and stuffed it into his pants pocket. Satisfied, he sat down in a chair, and waited. He waited for the right time to show up to that hospital and take what he had claimed his. Sure, it was a bizarre plan, but he was sure he could pull it off. Sometimes he was just overconfident. Some say that overconfidence can lead to greed, but not all greed could be bad.

Bill smirked.

To pass the time, he decided to do a little more exploring. What the man had been doing off and on to keep him distracted and busy, was opening up Dipper's mindscape, especially when he was asleep to do a little messing around. The man had thought that the boy had such a intriguingly odd mind. There was a special place for all of his insecurities and his guilt, what he thought of himself, and how he wanted others to see him. Surprisingly, that was one of the largest areas of his mind. Where he wasn't worrying, another vast majority of his mind was dedicated to questions, ideas, and just about anything he could want to imagine. He was very curious, Bill had thought, of the world around him. Very curious.

"That unfortunately led to his downfall..."

Out of all the children Bill had met and seen over the years, none was quite like Dipper. Even Gideon wasn't all that special, the man thought, as he was just an attention hog, a liar, relying on others for self-assurance and for at least the little bit of care that he _didn't _receive at his home.

"Pshh, what a little freak."

That was particularly why Bill had chosen him. Sure he had been very mad about how he had been defeated by the boy and his friends, but more specifically the boy, in his uncle's mind. He was the one who cracked the code and figured out just how to defeat him. Something that Bill had never expected him to do.

A small, pre-adolescent boy defeating a powerful, age-old dream demon? Bill thought naught. The kid did have brains, though, he had to give him that. He could be useful. He would be useful.

Bill put his hands together and closed his eyes, focusing on collecting energy. With a swift movement of his hand, he managed to open up a small portal, that was forming right in front of him with a whoosh of color and blurred somethings scattering around until things became clearer, and he was inside.

It was simple; he didn't ask for permission to get into someone's mind, he just did it. And they wouldn't have a clue. That was how idiotic the human kind was, as Bill put it.

Bill focused in on a certain scene that was playing in the boy's mind, a dream that he was currently having. He was walking through a dense area of forest with his merry sister by his side. Both were in a small conversation, every once in a while squabbling about a certain path to take, but otherwise, they seemed happy. It seemed that they were going on some kind of expedition of sorts.

_Oh how cute._

With a small flick of his hand, things became dark. He watched as the two personified twins looked around worriedly as the forest became darker. Storm clouds were forming.

With another flick, Bill had a creature, a horrible looking creature, jump out at them. One that he was sure even they couldn't fight. He smirked and closed the portal, sure that chaotic things would begin to happen soon.

_Oh, Pine Tree. I hate to do this to you, but you'll understand soon._

...

It was plunging later into nighttime, and the small town of Gravity Falls was silent and calm as rain still pitter pattered down from the sky. The storm had lessened down, but every once in a while there was a crack of thunder and a peal of lightning.

The figure of Bill was seen scouting along the edge of the hospital building, ever so stealthily in fear of being caught or seen. He didn't think so much of it, since it was pouring down rain, but he didn't want to risk anything.

He appeared at the entrance of the building, shaking his pant leg a bit and rubbing a hand through his human hair; it was just a little bit soaked.

"Stupid rain," he spat as he fixed his hair. "Why must such a thing exist?" Deciding to forget about it, he peered inside the front entrance to see that there weren't that many people inside the hospital, but it was brightly lit, so it must have been active. Adjusting his tie, he pulled open the door and walked in. A short looking younger woman greeted him at the front desk, and he thought sourly to himself.

_Oh here we go._

Instead of trying to deal with the woman, he decided to use a simple spell, a small incantation that would allow him to get what he wanted done and over with.

"Hello, sir. Would you like me to help you?" The woman asked with a cheery tone. Bill turned his head towards the woman and looked into her eyes, and began to speak a chant.

_Tibi nunc state,_

_donec transeat per minutes nulla IM,_

_quod ad hoc,_

_Tempore consistentes iubeo._

When he was finished, he could only look back at the woman, who had her arms raised, frozen now, and face in a motionless, unmoving expression. It had worked successfully. At his handiwork, the man was about to walk on, until he forgot something else.

_Cogitationes opiniones ideas, veris imaginibus;_

_Haec omnia retineas viverra._

_Quid ego nunc commemorem vos eximet._

"Oh the poor dear," he mumbled as he walked forwards again, to find the room. The spell would ware off soon enough, but it would stay effective just long enough for him to do his deeds.

Bill found the room Dipper was staying in with ease. He followed the path of where he felt his life force emanate the strongest until he found himself in front of the room labeled 107. Sure that it was his (certain it was his) Bill turned the knob and casually strolled into the room with not a care in a world, yet quietly so he wouldn't wake...

Dipper. And Stanford Pines.

Bill immediately knew that that was the room when he saw the large figure of Stan slumped over in a plastic chair, sound asleep, and snoring so loud that it cut through the room like a saw to wood.

Slightly disgusted, Bill's eye wandered around until it rested on the boy in the bed, who was asleep as well, but not snoring nearly as loudly. Bill smiled as he walked around the sleeping Stan and closer to the boy's bed. It allowed for him a better look at just how bad he really appeared to be.

The sheets of the bed were pulled up slightly and clenched in his hands, where it seemed that an almost pained expression took on the boy's face. It was the dreams, Bill knew it was, and the boy looked almost like a pouting puppy dog.

_So adorable._

With a sigh and a snap of his fingers, Bill watched as the pained look decreased slightly and the boy's grip on the sheets lessened. He looked more at peace now, and Bill could only watch for a few mere seconds with a blank expression.

Until, that is, it returned and he looked even more pained now. Or rather, afraid and shaking. Just by the presence of Bill by his bed was having effects on his mind and his dreams. Dipper fidgeted back and forth in the bed as Bill's essence overcame him, until his eyes snapped open all of a sudden. He looked upwards tiredly and gasped. The door to the room was open, and the light from the hall was the only light available, but by that Dipper could just barely see the outline of the man by his bed and some of his face.

Not recognizing the person, and definitely knowing that it wasn't a doctor, he was about to scream, when Bill slapped a hand over his mouth and looked back to see Stan was still sound asleep. Dipper's eyes shone with fear at the strange man holding a hand over his mouth. The hand was taken away, and Dipper instinctively sat up, backing up in the bed until his back hit the headboard with a _thump_.

"W-who are you?" he asked weakly as his eyes glanced the man up and down. "W-why are you here?"

Bill could only cringe at how scratchy his voice sounded, but didn't pay any other mind. "You really don't know who I am?" He asked surprisingly, like Dipper should have known on the spot.

"I..." The boy trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. "Don't think so..." He knew he recognized the voice though, he could sense it. It was that one of a kind, high pitched and annoyingly devious voice that sent chills up his spine. The man didn't respond, but he could tell that his expression was amusing, maybe? Blank? It was a little hard to tell what with the dim lighting pouring in from the hallway only illuminating a half of his face.

"Do I really have to tell you?" Bill said in an exasperated tone. "Really, I would have thought you were smarter, Pine Tree."

_Pine Tree..._

All of a sudden, it hit Dipper. How could he not see it the first time? Golden hair, yellow suit, eye patch? A black bowtie!

"You," he said coldly. "You!"

"Nice to see you finally recognized me!" Bill laughed. "I thought you had nearly gone off your rocker! But it appears you already have..." he said as he examined the sickly boy with a wandering eye.

"Why are you here?" Dipper asked again, this time question more firm than scared sounding. With a chuckle, Bill took the small bottle out of his pocket and unscrewed the lid. Immediately, a strong, pungent odor filled the room. Dipper's face scrunched up at the smell.

"What is that?" he asked cautiously as he quickly put a hand over his nose. Bill smiled and grabbed what looked to be a rag from next to the bed.

"Oh, it's nothing much. Now, hold still," he commanded as he began to pour the strong smelling liquid onto the rag. Dipper's eyes shifted uneasily to left and right as the man began to raise the rag towards him.

"Wait, what are you-"

"Still," Bill said firmly as he grabbed a hold of Dipper's shoulder. Dipper gasped and tried to move out of his grip but he couldn't accomplish much. He had been too weakened to do anything, but he guessed he wouldn't even be able to get out of Bill's grip if he wasn't sick. It was surprisingly tight. He heard Bill chuckle a bit.

The rag was lifted close to the boy's nose and he tried moving again, fear gripping at his chest. He thought about calling for a nurse or something, and maybe even try to get Grunkle Stan to wake up, who was still snoring like a bear in the chair. But he was a heavy sleeper, so he wasn't quite sure that it would work.

The boy tried to move his head away from the impending rag, making the demon slightly mad. He got a tighter grip on the boy and Dipper opened his mouth to scream for help.

"N-!"

His shout was masked by the rag being pressed over his nose and mouth. He thrashed around in the bed for a second or two, cries muffled by the cloth. The smell was really strong and sharp, and soon enough, his thrashing only became slight kicking of his arms and legs. Things were becoming distorted and blurry, like everything was playing in slow motion, and the boy was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

Blurs of colors and sounds were coming at him, and things were becoming dizzy.

"Close your eyes, child," Bill cooed as even the slightest of kicking began to cease, and Dipper's breathing became very steady and calm. The last thing he saw was a flash of Bill's golden hair, and his Grunkle Stan still asleep in the chair, before his eyes closed completely. He was out.

Bill smiled at his work. He began to lift the now unconscious boy out of the bed, removing the I.V, when he heard a small gasp come from behind him. He turned to see a nurse with wide eyes and mouth open in shock. She dropped the clipboard she was holding and turned like she was going to call for a doctor, when she froze and eyes became solid white.

_Tibi nunc state,_

_donec transeat per minutes nulla IM,_

_quod ad hoc,_

_Tempore consistentes iubeo._

_Cogitationes opiniones ideas, veris imaginibus;_

_Haec omnia retineas viverra._

_Quid ego nunc commemorem vos eximet._

Bill slid past the now frozen woman with a smile, the boy in his arms. He didn't have to worry about Stan, as he would sleep through the whole night, most likely. The woman at the front desk was still frozen, as Bill had expected her to be, and he strolled out the front entrance, leaving the hospital.

When the two woman would be brought back, they would have no recollection of what happened to them and what they saw. Finding himself in the parking lot, Bill ran off in a separate direction with the boy, plan successful.

_Mine._

* * *

Oh no, Dipper! What's going to happen to him?

I've been so pumped about writing lately, it's all I want to do! This chapter took me two days to write, since I've been wanting to make chapters longer. I'm going to make each one around 2,000 words or more from now on, or at least try to. A couple of things I want to point out about this chapter:

-It's hard for Bill to get used to a human body since he's never been in one before. His powers are not as strong in a human body than they are in his triangle form, but that doesn't mean that he's completely powerless (spells and still hacking into someone's dreamscape, for example). That's been looming around on a couple of sites.

-The incantations he used on the two women were Latin. The first one was a spell to freeze them, and the second one was to have their memories erased so when they were unfrozen they wouldn't even remember seeing him. When he says the spells, they are meant only for the person he's directing them at, not everyone and everything else around them.

-The stuff Bill poured on the rag was chloroform. It's this really strong smelling liquid chemical, a lot like rubbing alcohol, and it's actually used to knock out patients for surgery, like anesthesia. The strong smell makes the person dizzy and and makes them fall unconscious.

I think that's all, for the most part.


	11. Alone In The Dark

"Mr. Pines? Mr. Pines!"

Stan snorted awake, jolting up in the seat he had recently been asleep in. The hard plastic had not been good on his back, and he groaned as his hand automatically reached out to press something that wasn't there. Realizing that he wasn't at home, as well as that he was swatting at empty space, he brought his hand back to his side. His gaze drifted up to a couple of doctors and a plump looking young nurse, most likely the source of the voice that had woken him.

"We're sorry for waking you, Mr. Pines." The woman began to say hastily, but really not sounding all too sincere. "But something happened." She looked shaken up, as if something odd or strange had just occurred.

"Huh? What?" The old man mumbled, still groggy and confused from sleep. It took a second for him to come out of his stupor and register what exactly the nurse was saying to him. With a yawn, he stretched his stiff arms and legs.

"Something happened." One of the doctors said, carefully choosing his words. "Your nephew, he's-"

"Wait, what about my..." Stan's eyes strayed to the bed Dipper had been sleeping in the night before and saw that the sheets were thrown aside and he was nowhere to be seen. A lone I.V. needle hung ominously from its pole, looking like it had been untouched for hours.

Stan's expression hardened and he looked at the doctors and nurse again. "Where is he? Did you take him somewhere without asking me?

"That's the thing, Mr. Pines," The nurse exclaimed again, hand reaching up to pull her hair back in a nervous fit. "We _didn't _take him anywhere. We've been trying to tell you that."

The woman shivered, and one of the doctors put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Janet, just relax."

"Yes, I know, it was just so weird..."

Stan was puzzled and became increasingly more frustrated at the group of professionals. "Then where is he if you don't have him?"

There was a moment where they all locked eyes and forlorn glances were exchanged between the doctors.

"C'mon, tell me!" He yelled.

"We...don't exactly know."

...

Dipper awoke with the feeling of hard ground underneath him. His eyes slowly fluttered open to find that he wasn't aware of where he was at all, and it was black all around. His head pounded with pain that went right up his temples. One of those headaches that throb right in the center of your very skull and feels like it will never go away.

He tried to crane his neck up. From what he could see from his limited view on the ground, the place he was in was dark, it wasn't just him, and it was quiet. Definitely not the hospital and definitely not the attic back at the Mystery Shack.

It was…somewhere.

The boy was in a bit of a daze and didn't even bother to try and sit up for a second. He just tried to take in what he could about where he was. It was hard to tell because it was so dark, but he was pretty sure he was alone. He had to be alone, because he heard no voices, no shuffling of movement, and no breathing, other than his own.

The ground felt hard enough to be concrete, and if anything, it only made his headache worse. With a stiff groan, he attempted to sit up. His hands automatically went to his temples after he did so, but he was glad that he was at least able to sit up. He rubbed the sides of his head gently.

A quick pat down of his body told him that he was still in hospital attire. His cap had been missing ever since the night in the woods days before, and he just assumed that it had been left there to be taken by some animal or get hidden by leaves and underbrush, so he was bare-headed.

Honestly, it made him feel slightly naked.

He tried to remember what happened and how he had ended up in the unknown location he was currently in, but it stirred a bit of a blank. The earlier events were a big blur in his mind, and whenever he tried to come up with something, his head pounded harder. It was deemed impossible for him to even think.

His heart beat with fear as he tried so very hard to remember. _How could I have...? _He glanced around at his surroundings with curiosity, taking in the sharp, cool air.

"Hello?"

His raw voice cut through the dark space like a saw to wood. No answer came, and he tried again, this time louder.

"Is anyone there?"

All of this reminded Dipper very clearly of one of the first nightmares he had when he came to the hospital. So much, in fact, he hoped it wasn't with a great vigor. He didn't want those events to replay again, the first time was worse enough.

The taps of footsteps were heard walking closer to him. They stopped for a moment, and then picked up again, echoing intimidatingly through the area. Dipper could only listen as they became louder and louder, and he was sure the person had to be standing a couple of feet away from him. He could sense their presence in the shadows.

With vision better adjusted, the boy began to make the figure out, and it all came crashing back to him like bricks, just like it had the first time. He remembered what happened.

"Bill, what do you want with me?" He asked with scorn in his voice, but he still couldn't help but hide the trembling whisper at the end of his sentence. He was sure the demon was just amused by it.

"Oh, you're awake," the demon said with pathetic glee, and it made Dipper gag. It sounded so sickeningly sweet, but so fake as well. "I was almost afraid you would never wake up."

"I'm not dead," he said solemnly. "What do you want? And where are we?"

"I'm sorry to say I can't give away the location, Pine Tree," Bill told the boy, much to his dismay. "That's my business and my business only."

The way Bill called him Pine Tree, Dipper hated it.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked with irritation. "It's…weird."

"Well, why wouldn't I? It's my way of differentiating you from all the other people you're close to," he explained casually. "Like your sister is Shooting Star, and you're pudgy friend Soos is Question Mark. But I'm not telling you any more than that."

"I thought you hated me. I thought you wanted revenge, and you got it, okay?" Dipper spat, not hiding the coldness in his voice. "Now why won't you leave me alone?"

"Aha, Pine Tree," Bill began to laugh. "Of course I dislike you, especially since you're related to that uncle of yours, but you seriously must not know me that well."

"Why?"

"Because, child. Don't you know that you're mine?"

"What…" Dipper was very confused. If anything, the demon was making absolutely no sense. "Are…are you trying to be creepy or something?"

"Oh no, I'm not, Pine Tree." Bill smiled. "But I'm flattered you would think that."

Dipper looked to the ground, and then up again, assessing the situation. Bill just stared at him, his working eye blinking unusually quickly at him.

"No…I can't be yours…I don't even know what you mean by that."

"Oh, one can assume it means lots of things."

Dipper was about to talk when he shut his mouth, obviously not going to ask something else. Bill never made sense, as a human or a triangle. He would probably get another far-fetched answer if he tried to ask a question.

The silence between them grew increasingly awkward.

"...I still don't understand what you mean." The boy began to say, upsetting the demon slightly. Bill frowned deeply, obviously annoyed. His entire demeanor seemed to change in an instant, and the creepily nice attitude left. Dipper huddled his legs up to his chest as he watched him grow frustrated.

"Oh you'll see," Bill said, voice half an octave higher than usual. "You'll see and you'll understand soon. Do you think I just possess people for the fun of it?" The man then mumbled something to himself that sounded a bit like "well, sometimes."

Dipper's eyebrows knit together and a scowl spread across his face. "I don't care. I'm not yours, and there's nothing you can say to tell me otherwise."

"Okay, okay, fine," Bill sighed and his voice became normal again. There was no use getting to him now. "You can keep thinking that for as long as you want, I really don't care if it satisfies you."

Bill turned away calmly and began to walk in the other direction. Then, he turned around briskly.

"You'll find out soon what I mean, but for now, I think you're fine where you are."

"Why won't you tell me what you want?" Dipper asked again, but to his annoyance, was ignored. Bill smirked and was then gone, leaving Dipper to ponder over his situation by himself.

Bill always had a way to boggle your mind. Or maybe it was all too much for Dipper's headache to take.

_He's lying…just trying to scare me again. This is all just a dream. Yeah, it's just a stupid dream. I'm not really in any danger, and I'm not kidnapped._

He sat there for a second, then two.

With a sigh, he knew he couldn't convince himself. He wasn't even sure if anyone knew of his disappearance and if something was being done about it, or if they were trying to help find him at all.

He didn't even know if he could help himself. That hurt the most.

The boy wrapped his arms around his knees and put his head down, closing his eyes. He didn't even know where he was or how he had gotten there, and knowing Bill it could very well be an untraceable location.

With no journal and no new information, Dipper felt helpless. He wished it could all just stop and go back to the way it was before.

He then thought back to something his sister had said once when they were out exploring in the woods. They were walking and she said: 'You should never give up no matter what, even if you think you won't be able to do it. Because sometimes you will, and then you'll feel like the most powerful person ever!'

The rest of her little speech was something about her having a hard time knitting a new sweater, and how she was going to give up, but she got through it, and then 'it turned out to be the most amazingly awesome thing ever!'

Even in his darkest hour, that made a smile play onto his lips. His sister was really silly and tended to be a little immature, but she was always so positive. He wished he had the same optimism as she did.

In a way, he knew she was right. He felt stupid for just sitting around and not trying to find a way out, but with the condition he was in, he wasn't quite sure if he could. And who knew what kind of tricks Bill had up his sleeve he could use against him?

That pulled his smile into a frown. Why wouldn't Bill tell him what he wanted of him? Where had he even gone? He wasn't possibly just going to leave him there for who knows how long, was he?

"Bill?" he called out into the darkness again, hoping maybe for some more information, even just to hear a voice other than his own desperate thoughts. "Bill!"

No reply.

Realization hit him hard in the face. He dug his face deeper into his knees, as if that would comfort him. It wasn't even close. He was all alone in the dark with no one.

* * *

Hello, once again! You may be thinking, "Come on, it's been eleven chapters, why hasn't Bill's intentions been clearly revealed yet?" Well to that I say, you will just have to wait, my friends.


End file.
